PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota voters will decide again on whether to legalize recreational marijuana.
Secretary of State Monae Johnson’s office on Monday validated the measure for the November general election ballot.
The South Dakota measure would legalize recreational marijuana for people 21 and older. The proposal has possession limits of 2 ounces of marijuana in a form other than concentrated cannabis or cannabis products. The measure also allows cultivation of plants, with restrictions. Measure backers plan to work with the Legislature to implement business licensing, tax and other regulations, if successful.
It will be the third time South Dakota voters have weighed in on the question. In 2020, voters passed a measure that was later struck down in court for containing multiple issues. In 2022, voters defeated a single-subject proposal to legalize recreational marijuana.
Twenty-four states have legalized recreational marijuana. Ohio voters did so most recently, in November 2023.
Florida voters will also vote on the issue this fall. And other measure efforts are ongoing in other states, including North Dakota.
